Mutate Now

Red Bull dominates and Hamilton crashes, again. That pretty much sums up the 1st 2 practices in Japan this weekend. As for the actual race – Survey says…. Vettel for the win with Webber close behind, Alonso and Massa in 3rd and 4th with Button close on their tails.

Practice 1 Results

The McLaren mechanics have their work cut out for them after Hamilton and Button both ran wide in the corners and banged up their cars. (Is it just me, or are the modern McLarens a bit too dainty?!? Schumy’s Merc takes a bruisin’ and keeps on cruisin’ but Hamilton’s car falls apart under the slightest pressure….) According to the Formula1.com report:

[Hamilton] ran wide and got dragged off the road and into suspension-wrecking contact with the tyre wall in Turn 9, Degner 2. Later, Jenson Button ran wide in Degner 1 and then had a glorious oversteer slide while trying to recover from that which took him all the way through Degner 2. He bounced his McLaren pretty badly over the kerbs in the process…

Neither Ferrari driver made the top 10 as far as lap times (Massa 11th, Alonso 13th), but Barrichello, Hulkenberg, Schumacher, Heidfeld, & Rosberg did, in that order.

Top 10 Lap Times:

1. Sebastian Vettel – 1m 32.585s
2. Mark Webber – 1m 32.633s
3. Robert Kubica – 1m 33.129s
4. Adrian Sutil – 1m 33.639s
5. Lewis Hamilton – 1m 33.643s
6. Rubens Barrichello – 1m 33.677s
7. Nico Hulkenberg – 1m 33.707s
8. Michael Schumacher – 1m 33.739s
9. Nick Heidfeld – 1m 33.791s
10. Nico Rosberg – 1m 33.831s

Full report @ “Practice One – Red Bull out front as Hamilton crashes” on Formula 1™ – The Official F1™ Website

Practice 2 Results

Results on the way, still watching the race! ;)